Minor girls with Rs 14,000 plan trip to Seoul to meet BTS, rescued in TN
Chennai, Jan 7: Never in their wildest dreams, three school girls of a village, tucked away in a sleepy region of Karur district had imagined that their passion for music and dance would one day goad them to take the path unknown; of attempting to travel to a foreign country with little money and without passports.
Passionate fans of BTS, the hugely popular Korean pop band, the girls, all aged 13 and students of Class 8 in a state-run school, decided to go all the way to Seoul, the South Korean capital, to meet their loved stars.
"They took a firm decision to somehow meet the BTS stars and shortlisted the seaports of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh to take a ship to South Korea and they eventually chose Visakhapatnam," a Child Welfare Committee official told PTI.
The girls quietly stepped out of their homes on January 4 and reached Chennai after taking a train from Erode, which is near Karur.
Since the girls did not return home, their parents lodged a complaint with Karur police, who alerted authorities state-wide and began searches.
Though the teenagers together had just about Rs 14,000 with them, their savings, they naively believed that they could still make it. After much difficulty, they got a room in a Chennai hotel on Thursday night and were under the impression that they could take a ship to Seoul without passports.
On Friday, their desperate attempts to go ahead dragged them from pillar to post and they lost all energy. Left with no choice, they boarded a train from Chennai to reach their homes.
"At Katpadi railway station, when they got down at mid night to buy food, they missed the train. Police personnel spoke to the children and Child Line authorities and we were alerted," P Vedanayagam, head of Vellore District Child Welfare Committee said.
They were accommodated in a state-run facility in Vellore district and their parents were summoned and counselling sessions were held for the children and their parents.
"We learnt that the girls knew the minutest details about the BTS band and the stars, the way they dressed and what not; they had bought shoes similar to the ones used by the pop band stars."
The BTS stars were their inspiration and unhindered access to smartphones led to obsession. "It was very clear to us that they yearned for a life of dance and music." However, their decision 'to go abroad' to chase their dreams was a terrible mistake and this was conveyed to them politely.
The official said the children were encouraged to focus only on studies which would help them realise their dreams, whatever it may be.
"We told the children about the importance of education and its value and advised the parents to keep an eye on what their children do." The teens were told that smartphones and the internet, though useful in everyday life, should be utilised primarily for education related purposes.
"The family background of the children too cannot be ignored. In the case of one girl, it was a single parent. Another girl's father is mentally challenged. The mothers of these girls work as farm labourers. They have little or no time to monitor what their children do and what they want."
The parents were requested to make suitable arrangements to take care of their children to ensure that they get support and guidance. After counselling, the children were sent to their home district with their parents and they took a train on January 6 night.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
